2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is gaining momentum in multiple key voting areas where his campaign previously lagged.
According to The New York Times/Siena College survey, Biden is receiving more support in the six battleground states that contributed to President Donald Trump winning the Electoral College for the 2016 presidential election.
The latest poll results show Biden with leads among registered voters in Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina and with double-digit leads in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.
The president’s previously well-grounded support base among white voters appears to be in jeopardy. Now, Biden reportedly holds a 21-point lead among white college graduates. Trump is also lagging in three of the Northern states he previously won with double-digit leads.
In 2016, Trump received disproportionate support among the white working-class residents in battleground states which ultimately led to him winning the Electoral College without having the popular vote. Among that working-class base, Trump continues to hold his ground in predominately white battleground states.
Based on the poll’s findings for the national lead, Biden is projected to have a 14-point lead which equates to a minimum of approximately 333 electoral votes — a number substantially higher than the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election. The projected win would be contingent on Biden’s ability to maintain leads in the all six battleground states observed and while also holding on to the states Hillary Clinton won in 2016.
Although Trump’s approval ratings have waned, largely due to his handling of the pandemic and his stance on race relations, the election is still four months away which means his campaign does have a chance to recover. The president is still trusted in the area of economic leadership.
The Times poll comes just days after the smaller-than-expected turnout for Trump’s rally on Saturday.